Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said the government has planned to open 22 new missions in 21 countries, aiming to strengthen diplomatic relations with those countries.
“Considering the multiple necessities, the government has planned to open new missions in few countries where we still do not have any,” he told parliament on Thursday.
The minister’s remarks came in response to a starred question placed by treasury bench lawmaker Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury of Sylhet 3 constituency.
Momen said Bangladesh has no mission in 134 countries out of 193 member states of the United Nations. But there are a total of 77 Bangladeshi missions in 58 countries at present, he added.
Under the plan, he said, new Bangladeshi missions will be opened in Guangzu and Shanghai of China; Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Laos and Kazakhstan in Asia; and Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Tanzania and Ghana in Africa.
New missions will also be introduced in Ireland, Scotland, Frankfurt of Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary and Ukraine in Europe; Melbourne of Australia and New Zealand in Oceania; and Argentina, Chile and Sao Paulo of Brazil in South America, added the minister.
Besides, Momen said, the government has already completed all the administrative processes to introduce Bangladesh missions in Chennai of India and Bucharest of Romania.